The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is essential to our overall health and well-being. It allows our minds and bodies to rest properly so that we may wake refreshed and ready for the day ahead. It affects every aspect of our lives; from our appearance and physical ability to our attitude and mental prowess. When we sleep well; we tend to look, feel and perform well. We also have an increased ability to perform the following activities:

Learn

Organize, retain and recover memories

Make decisions

Interact socially

Process emotions

Maintain a strong and healthy immune system

Develop physically and mentally

When we do not receive a sufficient amount of quality sleep, however, we tend to perform inadequately in all areas. We feel tired, frustrated, moody and unmotivated. In addition, we are increasingly unable to function properly and tend to suffer from the following:

Poor judgment

Poor performance at work, school, sports or other activities

Impaired memory, concentration and learning ability

Poor coordination

Impaired driving ability

Anxiety, depression and other emotional problems

Irritability

Insufficient sleep over time is even more problematic and leads to the accumulation of what is called a “sleep debt.” This type of sleep deprivation can have serious long-term effects leading to health problems, obesity and hyperactivity. The best way to avoid accumulating a “sleep debt” is to make sleep a priority each and every day. If you wake up feeling refreshed, you are probably sleeping enough. If not, you need to adjust your sleeping habits. See our Sleep Tips for more information and start sleeping right!